Special Prayer (Books of Common Prayer), Church Books, Hymnals and Psalters

How to browse through our Bibles:

All Bibles are listed in order of publishing date. For each Bible there is a seperate detailed webpage with many, many more pictures that you can reach by clicking on the title of the Bible or at the 'more details' link at the end of the description.

A note on the quality of our Antique Bibles:

We take great pride in the quality of the Bibles we offer. We cannot replace missing pages or undo water damage and so on, but we do make sure that the binding of the pages as well as the covers is in good (daily) useable condition. Therefore most Bibles go through a restoration process where the spines are cleaned of old failing adhesive and loose pages or broken signatures are restored/replaced. Old spine leather is reinforced or replaced and spine reinforcement is applied with new headbands and the cover hinge is extra re-enforced. Also the cover leather is cleaned and treated and if applicable the clasps are cleaned and restored. This is not just a patch job! This process brings the strength of the book back to its original quality!

Purchasing an Antique Family Bible or an early King James or Geneva Bible:

1678 complete Church and prayer book in an overall PRISTINE, EXCELLENT and antiquarian quality and style rebound condition, bound together with the Apocrypha and a Book of Psalms (1678). Gorgeously rebound in antiquarian (original?) leather (blind-stamped) covers and a spine with the texts "Book of Common Prayer" and "1678" printed in gold letters on the spine. The Bible text is beautifully printed in double columns in Roman font with decorative red ruled (by hand!!!) borders. The book is somewhat oversized and printed in a very large and legible font.

Starts with the complete Book of Common Prayer and Administrations of the Sacraments (with title page, printer by John Bill, Christopher Barker, Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hills) followed by the complete Apocrypha and the Whole Book of Psalms (metric, title 1678, printed by the Company of Stationers). Also the Psalter is complete and ends with a table of the Psalms. Beautiful decorated title pages! Various woodcuts and colophons.

The book of common prayer and administration of the
sacraments : and other rites and ceremonies of the church according
to the use of the Church of England, together with the Psalter or
Psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches,
and the form and manner of making, ordaining and consecrating of
bishops, priests & deacons. ... MDCCVI (1706). bound with
Constitutions and Cannons Ecclesiastical.

RARE folio printing of The Book of Common Prayer and Administration
of the Sacraments. The typography is magnificent, featuring large
decorative historiated initials, as well as engraved woodcut crests
and devices throughout and the stunning main added engraved title
page, sculpted by Robert White.

An amazing (VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT condition) exquisitely illustrated 1712 octavo sized Prayer Book in daily usable (restored) condition printed by John Baskett and the assigns of Thomas Newcombe and Henry Hills in London. It contains the complete Common Book of Prayer, the Psalter or Psalms of David (1713), the metrical Psalms of David and bound together with the New Version of the Psalms of David (1818). Illustrated throughout with 53 numbered full page engravings (most with Bible verses) in the prayer Book. Both the quality of the preservation as well as the details of these engravings are excellent and remarkably detailed.

Professionally rebound with dark leather covers and spine, with gold gilt pages and gold-letter decorations. Complete Book with superb engravings. Complete Book of Common Prayer and (multiple) Psalters. Some clipped margins with occasional minor loss. All prelims, titles and woodcuts present. NO WRITINGS (some scribbles in the front). There is very little wear and scuffing, no staining apart from an dirt stain at the back of the book (see pictures), the pages are in overall wonderful condition considering age!

The Liturgy of the Church of England : Adorned with Sculptures. (with) The Book of Common Prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches. University of Oxford: Printed by John Baskett, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majesty, 1716. (with) The Whole Book of Psalms, Collected into English Metre [Sternhold & Hopkins, 1717].

Rare and uniquely bound specimen of the Book of Common Prayer and a Whole Book of Psalms, finely presented in full black shagreen (sharkskin) binding, the spine with raised bands, complete with two silver working swing clasps, as shown. A fine early edition printed by the John Baskett, intertwined with dozens of full page engraved plates, and fully red lined throughout. Tome minimally worn with the binding very lightly rubbed, with one of the bases of the clasps missing two of the three mounting nails, allowing for it to slightly shift when not deployed with the clasp. Joints and hinges entirely intact and bound firm. Interior also in great shape with marbled EPs, the main text bright and clean with only a few small wear points, again with each leaf beautifully red rubricated. Interleaved throughout the Prayer Book are nearly 50 full page engraved plates, some two or three in a row, including an engraved title for the Liturgy and a frontis of George I; quite attractive and rarely seen with such exquisite detail. All books complete. Gilt page edges slightly faded. Engraved bookplate in front. A fine example of Baskett's BCP and a Whole Book of Psalms with fantastic illustrations in a unique binding....more details ...

The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the
Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According
to the Use of the Church of England; Together with the Psalter or
Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches.
London, Printed by John Baskett ... 1720." bound with The Whole Book of Psalms at rear; separate title page, with
Oxford London 1713 imprint.

This pocket sized book is bound in plain (original?) leather covers
with gold lettered spine ("Common Prayer"). Overall the condition is
remarkable clean and the whole book is underline (by hand) in red!
Plain end papers with a 1827 inscription on the first blank page.
Interior clean with content clean and complete. Solid/excellent
binding. Complete in every aspect!

Exquisite 'the Book of Common Prayer and Adminiftration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church ... Together with the Psalter ... Cambridge, Printed by Hohn Baskerville ... M.DCCLXI [1761]'. On the edge of the book is a one of a kind fore edge painting of British harbor with fortress. The prayer book itself is very extensive (and was indented to be also used as a church book) with tables, overviews and the various church liturgies for all kind of occasions. It also includes the complete metric Psalter - Psalms of David.

A fore-edge painting is decoration painted on the edges of a book’s pages by artist. The fore-edge of a book is like the 'fourth edge' - not the spine, the top, or the bottom edge, but the outside edge that a reader would use to thumb through the pages. Originally, this edge was only used for identification, to more easily spot a book when the edges faced outward. As these paintings were done by hand, usually on request of a more wealthy buyer, it makes this Bible absolutely unique, there is no copy of this Bible with this painting available anywhere else!

The fore-edge painting is amazing, but very hard to photograph, we did our best, but it is so much nicer when you hold the book.

The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the
Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According
to the Use of the Church of England; Together with the Psalter or
Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches. Oxford: Printed by T. Wright & W. Gill, etc., 1773. bound with The Whole Book of Psalms at rear; separate title page, also with
Oxford 1773 imprint.

This pocket sized book is bound in a stunning multiple toned red,
green, blue and gilt bordered design to the boards, highlighted by a
central crest with IHS in the middle, and framed with intricate gilt
bordering. This truly is a prime specimen indeed with light internal
and external wear, the spine with raised bands and additional gilt
decor. Marbled EPs with faded gilt page edges. Interior clean with
content clean, complete and bound, also front and rear with
manuscript prayer to EPs and verso of title, in a gorgeous hand by
an unknown writer.

One of the most unique Prayer Books we have ever encountered: A Sublime Condition 1846 Book of Common Prayer (with New Testament and Psalter) with deeply embossed wooden, gold decorated front and back covers (with inscription IHS - often though to mean 'In His Service' but more likely used as these are the first 3 letters of the name of Jesus in Greek). The paper edges are exquisitely gold gilt and gauufered plus have unique fore-edge paintings with the texts "Learn" (bottom edge), "Pray-and-Match" (main paper edge) and "Digest" (upper edge). The book is 'locked' with a gold colored clasp. WOW!!!

The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church According to the use of the United Church of England and Ireland. Printed at London. Bound with the New Testament (1846) and a New Version of the Psalms of David (1846)

A fore-edge painting is decoration painted on the edges of a book’s pages by artist. The fore-edge of a book is like the 'fourth edge' - not the spine, the top, or the bottom edge, but the outside edge that a reader would use to thumb through the pages. Originally, this edge was only used for identification, to more easily spot a book when the edges faced outward. As these paintings were done by hand, usually on request of a more wealthy buyer, it makes this Bible absolutely unique, there is no copy of this Bible with this painting available anywhere else! ...more details ...

William Pickering (1796-1854) was a London publisher and bookseller, who began a long partnership with the printer, Charles Whittingham (1795-1876) in 1828. This version of the Book of Common Prayer (sometimes known as Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book, e.g. by Keynes in his book on Pickering and by McLean) is a late example of their collaboration. It includes the woodcut borders inspired by the 1581 and 1590 editions of the Book of Christian Prayers (also often called 'Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book'), skillfully executed by Mary Byfield (1795-1871), and harmonizing perfectly with the type. Her woodcuts were inspired and adapted from designs by Albrecht Durer, Hans Holbein, and others in imitation of Queen Elizabeth's Book of Christian Prayers. Title printed in red and black within woodcut border representing the Tree of Jesse: Portrait of Queen Elizabeth on verso of title : text of every page surrounded with engraved on wood by Byfield, considered her best work. Dhe worked for the Chiswick Press nearly her entire life, and her contributions played a large part in the looks of many of the smaller Pickering editions. For this volume she cut over 100 blocks, mostly after the designs by Holbein, Durer, Tory and others, as stated, but also including her contemporary Charlotte Whittingham, although it is next to impossible to tell which are the old designs, and which the new. "The cuts harmonize perfectly with the type (which is Caslon) and this small tome is a triumph of printing as well as of illustration and typography." (McLean; Victorian Book Design). An important and handsome Pickering production. ...more details ...